Checked Out on Halloween

by K.T. Harris

A dual POV journey between a book-loving sweetie with dark fantasies and an obsessive masked man teetering on the edge of sanity—both drawn to twisted desires that shouldn’t exist… but cant resist.

At Nook & Fable, the little bookshop she calls home, Opal finds comfort in stories rather than real-life adventures. She’s happiest curled up with a dark romance, sipping pumpkin spice lattes, and letting fictional men steal her heart. But when Halloween night arrives she finds a rare spark of courage. Opal steps out of her comfort zone and into the crisp autumn air.

At a local costume party, she’s swept off her feet by a stranger dressed as one of her favorite book-boyfriends. Behind his mask, he feels like the embodiment of every book-lovers fantasy. Is fate offering her the romance she’s only ever read about?

Yet back at the shop, another possibility A thoughtful regular whose quiet charm and lingering smiles might be just as captivating—if only she’s willing to notice.

Caught between fantasy and reality, Opal must is her heart leading her toward a storybook romance or something even more real and lasting?

Curl up with cider, falling leaves, and a love story that’s hotter than pumpkin spice.

Genres: Halloween, Romance, Holiday, Novella, Smut, Contemporary, Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2025

Reviews

[SmuttyStephie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETA: for the love of god read the content warning these authors so graciously take the time to add for you, read the synopsis or anything about the book. Before you leave your one and two stars bc dark romance isn’t your thing. “1 star bc he’s a masked stalker” well duh Brenda that’s why we are here. It literally says that 3 times on and in the book. Some of us have trauma and that's why we read this smut. Thats like going to a restaurant, ordering meat balls and complaining to the owner you don’t like meat balls. Rant over. Please continue to my dark romance loving self gush over this novella.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Cozy, spicy, book within a book (we love) Perfect fall vibes, quick read. Smut is delicious, top teir. I love spice from a male pov. Can’t wait for the second one in november.

[maggies_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

every time he called his dick “meat” i wanted to throw myself off a cliff

[Kate Sealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect read to get me in the mood for fall! The romance was surprisingly sweet, wholesome, and healthy- given the masked man aspect! But the spice was spiiiiiicy! The cozy vibes and nostalgia were complete perfection. I found the characters to be very relatable and super adorable. So if you want sweet romance, a masked man, autumn in New England vibes, and smoking hot spicy scenes- this is the book for you! Its novella length so it made for an easy and fulfilling read. This will definitely be an author to follow!

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fall is perfect for a stalker romance. Would have loved to have more of a plot other than the FMC loving pumpkin spice lattes.

[Kristin Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not be fooled by the cover!! This is not a cutesy, Halloween themed romance. This is a stalker romance, although it isn’t dark.

Opal works at a small bookstore in Vermont, and she’s been longing for a repeat customer, Kellen, who seems to have similar taste in smutty books. What she doesn’t realize is how much Kellen likes her back, and the lengths he will go to to make sure she’s safe and his.


4🌟
1.5🌶️

[niki lipsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

short. smutty. and Halloween theme. what more could you want

[Jazmyne Kubly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book cover is absolutely adorable! The main character Opal was a book girly who was so relatable. MMC was sweet, caring, and the right amount of mysterious/protective. The spice was spicing right off chapter one. We all love a good guy thats a bad boy just for his girl. Perfectly written novella to kick off fall with and outstanding job on her first debut book!! I'm so proud of you, girl!!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stalker romance halloween book, obsessed.

[Desiree S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

I LOVED this book and did not want it to end at all!! Only 4.5 because it wasn’t longer 🤣

[scar! . *. ⋆ (Johnny kavanaghs version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
This was a fun Halloween dark romance. I loved it hehehe

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy read! Maybe I need to start reading dark romance? 😆

[Melissa Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stalker romance Halloween book? Say less.

This was really cute and loved all the different tropes that this had:
- Stalker
- Obsessive MMC
- She’s Mine
- He fall first

This is the perfect book if you are craving the above in a novella!

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the sweetest short story ever! it had spice 🌶️ stalker vibes and 👻🎃! there's nothing better than that! I really enjoyed it! read it in a day!!! I would have finished in 3 to 4 hours if I had no interruptions 😆😆😆

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a quick fun cozy fall read with a splash of dark romance, but in the sweetest way. Anyone that works at a bookstore should read this.

[Karnareus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible, the romance took things to a new level I didn’t know could be explored 😂 loved every second of it.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟
Meh. Short novella, read it in an hour. I wanted something quick, cute, and Halloween. The writing was cheesy and cringe, and I think it was trying too hard to be Lights Out in some ways.

[Shayla Marie Just.a.touch.of.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3 Stars | 🌶️ 4 Spice

Sooo… this little novella? Pure smut. 😅

I honestly thought I was settling in for a cute, cozy Halloween read with a sprinkle of spice—but nope, it’s all spice, all the time. 😏 It was fun and definitely made me smile a few times, but I also found myself cringing at the sheer number of typos, missing words, and grammar issues. It’s clear this one skipped the editing stage (or it was edited very poorly).

If you’re in the mood for wall-to-wall smut and don’t mind the rough edges, this could totally hit the spot. But if, like me, you were hoping for a cute and slightly dark cozy read with a little romance mixed in… this one misses that mark. It was cute-adjacent and entertaining, but it really could’ve shined with some proper polishing.

[Geneva Hernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m confused. It wasn’t necessarily poorly written, but it also wasn’t well written… I mean, “erect meat”… Need I say more?

For a Novella, instant love is to be expected, but the story was so choppy. It was barely Halloweeny. The book also felt unfinished. One minute, the man is confessing. The next, it’s a five-year-later epilogue for two characters we barely know.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
3 🌶️

A fun cute romcom for Halloween! Opal dreams of living out every dark romance girlies fantasy of being so utterly loved and obsessed over that someone would do anything, crazy even, to have them! One Halloween night all her fantasies come true when Kellen dresses as her favorite dark romance stalker (swoon!!)

A cute and fun easy novella!

[Crysta Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell ya! I had an absolute blast reading this book. It was definitely on the shorter side. But let me tell you I was so surprised when I opened this book and saw the trigger warnings. The cover was not given me that. I love it!

[Chyann Holifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little spicy fall romance! A super fast read wish I had more though! But I liked it!

[Farrah Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest little fall book!

[Steph Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick stalker fall read...mostly spice with some plot.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, spicy dark romance to get you into the Fall spirit when it’s still 80 degrees outside 🎃

[Jess Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute spicy little book for Halloween month! 😍

[Sammi Bland-Kanes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected a cosy romance not smut but the story was still good I guess

[Alexis Leinwander · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might be the worst book I’ve read this year. So much of this didn’t make sense. Honestly, so bad it’s almost comical.

[Jade Pietrangelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This fell flatter than a pancake. I know it’s a novella, but there was zero depth to these characters.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute novella to read to get you in the fall mood!

[Cristal Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little spicy romance for Halloween 🎃